Global Tech Company to Cut the Ribbon on New Distribution Center

Indiana Secretary of Commerce Jim Schellinger will join local officials and executives from Ingram Micro Commerce & Lifecycle Services, a global provider of technology and supply chain products and services, on May 4th at 3 p.m. to celebrate the company's grand opening of its distribution center in Jeffersonville. Warehouse tours are available to guests and media at 3:30 p.m. EDT.

In 2017, Ingram Micro Commerce & Lifecycle Services announced plans to invest nearly $40 million to lease, equip and renovate a 590,000-square-foot facility in the River Ridge Commerce Center in Jeffersonville as its newest, third-party distribution center. To support its growth, the company plans to create up to 550 new jobs by 2021.

United Collection Bureau Expands to Southeast Indiana, Plans to Create 600+ New Jobs

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (April 17, 2018) – United Collection Bureau Inc. (UCB), a provider of business process outsourcing and accounts receivable management solutions, announced plans today to establish a new call center in Clark County, creating up to 621 new jobs by 2022.

"We're excited to welcome UCB to Indiana and grateful for the good jobs they’ll create for Hoosiers," Governor Eric J. Holcomb said. "Companies like UCB continue to take advantage of our pro-growth business environment and skilled workforce. As a state, we’ll continue to equip businesses with the tools and stability they need for success today, tomorrow and in the years ahead."

The Ohio-based company is investing $2.4 million to lease, renovate and equip a 55,000-square-foot facility at the River Ridge Commerce Center in Jeffersonville. UCB, which has already begun renovations, plans for the new Indiana-based call center to be operational by the end of May. With its growth, the company will conduct two rounds of employee recruiting, which will allow UCB to meet the increasing demand for its clients.

The company employs approximately 1,000 associates at its facilities in Ohio, Florida and Costa Rica. UCB expects to begin hiring for representatives, management and other operational associates for the Indiana-based call center in May. By the end of 2019, the company plans to complete the first phase of recruiting, hiring over 300 full-time employees. Interested applicants can apply by emailingresumes@ucbinc.com.

“We are very excited to be establishing our presence in the state of Indiana,” stated Michael Karosas, chief operating officer of UCB. “Indiana’s pro-business environment and skilled workforce distinguished itself from other locations we were considering, and we look forward to a bright future here in Indiana.”

UCB began providing flexible business process outsourcing and collection call center services in 1959. The company’s commitment to training, coupled with innovative technology, compliance and customer service, supports UCB’s reputation as a leader in its industry. With almost 60 years of experience, UCB assists large companies and facilities across the U.S. in the government, healthcare, utility, financial service, communication and student loan industries.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) board of directors offered United Collection Bureau up to $3,500,000 in conditional tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans, and up to $150,000 in training grants. These incentives are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Jeffersonville, Clark County and southern Indiana support this project.

UBC’s growth plans continue a trend of national companies choosing Indiana for growth. Indiana’s business climate ranks first in the Midwest and fifth in the nation, offering companies like UCB the tools they need to grow its business.

About United Collection BureauUCB provides business process outsourcing and collection call center services for the financial, healthcare and government services industries. For almost 60 years, the company has been developing customized and flexible services and solutions tailored to the needs of its clients. For more information about United Collection Bureau, visit ucbinc.com.

Source - IEDC

Schimpff’s Confectionery Expansion Open House

On October 28, 2017, Schimpff’s Confectionery, 347 Spring Street, Jeffersonville, Indiana, will host an Open House from 10am to 5pm, with opening remarks at 10am. Warren and Jill Schimpff and Schimpff’s Confectionery invite the public to help celebrate Schimpff’s completed expansion into the space next door at 345 Spring Street. Once owned by Great Uncle Charles Schimpff, as a stationery business, the newly restored 1800s building will be used for more retail space and added seating for deli and ice cream service. The newly built space, in the rear, will be used for storage and future manufacturing.On October 28, 2017, Schimpff’s Confectionery, 347 Spring Street, Jeffersonville, Indiana, will host an Open House from 10am to 5pm, with opening remarks at 10am. Warren and Jill Schimpff and Schimpff’s Confectionery invite the public to help celebrate Schimpff’s completed expansion into the space next door at 345 Spring Street. Once owned by Great Uncle Charles Schimpff, as a stationery business, the newly restored 1800s building will be used for more retail space and added seating for deli and ice cream service. The newly built space, in the rear, will be used for storage and future manufacturing.

Throughout the day, customers will have the opportunity to view all areas of the completed expansion. Light refreshments will be served. New candy items and several Red Hot Cinnamon products will be introduced. The lower floor of the historic building, complete with a new tin ceiling and restored terrazzo floor, will present customers with a wide variety of colorful antique advertising. An early 1900s safe was found in the building and has been repurposed as a cash register station. Customer seating includes a variety of antique tables, some with marble tops, and all with unique swing-out seats.

The centerpiece of the new advertising items is a very unique mahogany shelf unit that for years was in the corporate office of the Peerless Candy Company in Chicago. It contained sample jars of hard candy that the company produced. There are 64 jars of candy. The candy was sealed in the jars in the 1950s, a true treasure on loan to Schimpff’s from Kitty Picken, the last owner of Peerless. The company closed in 2007 after 93 years in business.

Schimpff’s Confectionery is one of the oldest family-owned candy businesses, in its original location, in the United States! Schimpff’s was opened on April 11, 1891, by Gustav Schimpff Sr. Warren & Jill purchased the business in 1990, to keep ownership in the family. In 2000, they purchased the building next door to the north and added a demonstration area and an extensive candy museum. The newest expansion, at 345 Spring Street, promises to take Schimpff’s into the future!

-Source Jeff Main Street

Global Technology Firm Adding New Facility in River Ridge

Ingram Micro, a global provider of a full spectrum of technology and supply chain products and services to businesses, announced plans today to locate a new facility in Indiana, creating up to 550 new Indiana jobs.

“Indiana is open for business and global technology companies like Ingram Micro continue to take advantage of our strong business climate and thriving tech communities,” Gov. Eric Holcomb said. “We’re grateful Ingram Micro chose to set-up shop for its fifth location in Indiana, offering good-paying jobs to hardworking Hoosiers.”

The Irvine, California-based company will invest nearly $40 million to lease, renovate and equip a 590,000-square-foot facility in the River Ridge Commerce Center in Jeffersonville. Renovations are currently underway on the facility, which will serve as the $42 billion company’s newest, third-party distribution center, including installation of a high-tech warehouse management and control system. Ingram Micro plans to launch operations in Jeffersonville by early 2018, with plans to be fully operational in the summer.

Ingram Micro currently employs nearly 2,000 full-time and seasonal associates at its Indiana facilities across Indianapolis and Plainfield, serving as part of the company’s global network of 30,000 associates around the world. The company plans to begin hiring at the beginning of the year for office, warehouse, supervisory and management positions for its new Jeffersonville facility. At that time, interested applicants may apply online through Ingram Micro's website.

Firm picks Indiana with support from state’s venture development partner

Inscope Medical Solutions, a developer of suction and video laryngoscopes, announced today that it has selected Jeffersonville, Indiana, for its new headquarters.

"I am thrilled Inscope Medical Solutions is choosing to build its home base right here in Indiana,” Governor Eric J. Holcomb said. "Inscope’s story reflects our state’s thriving entrepreneurial spirit, growing venture communities and vibrant medical device industry. Indiana will continue to nurture innovation and invest in regional economic and workforce development so that startups like Inscope have the tools they need to succeed."

Inscope Medical is a medical device company focused on improving the speed, safety and effectiveness of airway intubation through laryngoscopes with integrated suction and wireless video. By integrating suction directly into the laryngoscope, physicians are able to quickly clear a patient’s airway during medical procedures to help secure breathing. The company has also developed a single-use, Wi-Fi direct-enabled video laryngoscope, which streams video from the device to a tablet, allowing medical facilities to integrate video into their procedures more cost efficiently than traditional video laryngoscopes.

Founded by Maggie Galloway, Adam Casson and Dr. Mary Nan Mallory, Inscope Medical initially launched its research and development in Louisville in 2014 before locating its headquarters in downtown Jeffersonville in December 2016.

Earlier this month, Inscope Medical took the top prize in the Venture Club of Indiana’s Innovation Showcase Pitch Competition, receiving a $100,000 prize package. The Innovation Showcase has become Indiana’s premier event for connecting idea generators to funds and resources as well as fostering new business growth and job creation in the Hoosier state. The ninth annual event was hosted at inX3, the Midwest’s largest gathering of entrepreneurs, influencers and venture capitalists.

Kentucky-Based Manufacturer Picks Indiana for New Production Facility

Ohio Valley Precast, a manufacturer of precast concrete products, announced plans today to establish operations in Clark County. With its growth, the company plans to create up to 80 high-wage jobs to support increased production of precast concrete components in the industrial, commercial and civil construction sectors.

“Ohio Valley Precast's decision to establish operations in Indiana continues a trend of growth as businesses across the country are choosing to locate in a state that works,” said Governor Mike Pence. “We have worked diligently to create a low-tax, pro-growth business climate, which is ranked among the top five in the nation, and we are proud to be home to millions of hardworking Hoosiers. This company could create jobs anywhere, but they chose Indiana because we offer the tools needed for success both now and in the future.”

The company, a subsidiary of Lexington, Kentucky-based Bristol Group, will invest $12 million to construct and equip a new facility at 15000 Rocket Plan Road, which will serve as Bristol Group’s first Indiana operation. The company will build an initial 35,000-square-foot facility, which will be complete by the second quarter of 2017, and plans to nearly double that footprint over the next five years. The new facility will allow the company to increase its production capacity to 3 million square feet of precast concrete components annually and more efficiently serve its regional customers.

Indiana Employment Continues to Rise, Unemployment Rate Drops

Indiana businesses added 5,600 new jobs in August, bringing Indiana's total private sector employment to 2.65 million, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics report released today by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

“Indiana’s economy is experiencing incredible momentum right now. The state’s job creators have hired more than 150,000 Hoosiers since January 2013, and businesses continue to pick Indiana for future growth,” said Victor Smith, Indiana Secretary of Commerce. “Within the last month alone, companies like General Motors, Daimler Trucks, inTech Trailers, Ken’s Foods, Polycon Industries and Japan-based Aisin USA Manufacturing have all announced plans to grow and create new Hoosier jobs across our state. Job creation is job one in Indiana, and with a business climate that’s ranked the best in the Midwest and fifth in the nation, there’s a lot to be excited about here in Indiana.”

Indiana has added 36,400 new private sector jobs so far this year and 156,800 jobs since January 2013. August marks the 14th consecutive month with total employment in the state’s private sector exceeding Indiana’s previous peak employment record from March 2000.

Indiana’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate also dropped this month, falling 0.1 percent in August to 4.5 percent – below the national average of 4.9 percent. With this drop, Indiana’s unemployment rate has plunged 3.9 percent since January 2013, outpacing the nation’s decline of 3.1 percent.

This happened while Indiana’s labor force, which includes both Hoosiers who are employed and those seeking employment, grew to its largest size ever standing at 3.38 million Hoosiers, gaining 3,516 Hoosiers in August and 78,756 Hoosiers so far in 2016. Indiana’s labor force participation rate, the percentage of the state’s population that is either employed or actively seeking work, grew this month to 65.5 percent, remaining above the national rate of 62.8 percent.

High-Tech Innovation Center to Open in Jeffersonville, Create High-Wage Jobs

American Air Filter, a manufacturer of clean air products and systems, will officially open its new Indiana facility next Monday, Sept. 12, at 2:00 p.m. in Jeffersonville.

American Air Filter Co. Inc., dba AAF International and its subsidiary, Flanders Corp., recently invested $5.4 million to establish a new 33,000-square-foot AAF Flanders Clean Air Innovation and Research Center (Clean Air Center) at 200 Patrol Road in Jeffersonville. The first floor of the center features 25,000 square feet of lab, testing and storage space, including a media materials development lab and a fully-functional machine shop. The new facility, which can accommodate up to 40 employees, will also include audiovisual technology, modern offices, collaborative workstations and conference space.

As part of its growth, Louisville, Kentucky-based company plans to create up to 25 new jobs in Indiana by 2018. New positions, which will primarily be in R&D, are expected to pay more than 2.5 times higher than the county's average wage. Interested applicants may apply online at www.aafintl.com.

American Air Filters offers a variety of clean air products and systems from simple roughing filters to air pollution controls and gas containment removal. The company operates in 22 countries with more than 5,000 employees worldwide.

The Indiana Economic Development Corporation offered American Air Filter Company Inc. up to $375,000 in conditional tax credits based on the company’s job creation plans. These incentives are performance-based, meaning until Hoosiers are hired, the company is not eligible to claim incentives. The city of Jeffersonville offered additional incentives at the request of One Southern Indiana.

Location: 200 Patrol Road, Suite 100, Jeffersonville

Source - IEDC

Food Company Opens Jeffersonville Plant

Illinois-based Enjoy Life Foods has opened its new production and distribution facility in Jeffersonville. The company moved operations from its previous plant in Schiller Park, Illinois and plans to create up to 200 jobs in Indiana by the end of 2017.

Enjoy Life Foods is investing a total of $39 million in the 200,000 square-foot facility. The company began installing equipment in January and has three production lines already operational. More upgrades to the facility will take place over the next 18 months.

The Indiana Economic Development Corp. says the facility will allow the company to more than double production. It will also be the largest dedicated allergy-friendly bakery in North America.

"This is a historic milestone for our company and for the allergy-friendly community as a whole," said Joel Warady, chief marketing and innovation officer at Enjoy Life Foods. "Having the largest dedicated allergy-friendly bakery in North America also allows us to further grow our operations to provide even more great-tasting products to families across the U.S. and Canada, while expanding our reach to people seeking allergy-friendly food options around the world."

Fifth-largest steel producer in the world coming to the Port of Indiana

POSCO, a multinational company headquartered in Pohang, South Korea, and the fifth-largest steel producer in the world, has announced plans to build a wire rod processing center at the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville, creating up to 60 high-wage jobs by 2018. POSCO is South Korea’s fourth largest company, behind Samsung Electronics, SK Holdings and Hyundai Motors, and is ranked No. 162 in Fortune’s Global 500.

“Although we are located on different continents, South Korea and Indiana both share a reputation of excellence when it comes to advanced manufacturing,” said Governor Mike Pence. “Having a globally-focused company like POSCO select Indiana to grow its business is a strong endorsement of our state’s low-cost, low-tax business climate, robust transportation infrastructure and dynamic port system. This company could have established operations anywhere in the world, but has found exactly what it needed right here in Indiana. POSCO is a major supplier to the automotive industry which already supports more than 100,000 jobs in our state, and we look forward to the new jobs this state-of-the-art facility will create.”

The $19 million project includes a 136,000-square-foot facility to be constructed on approximately 10 acres at the Port of Indiana-Jeffersonville. POSCO plans to start construction this spring on the facility, which will be the company’s second steel processing line and fourth production line in the U.S. POSCO’s key drivers for locating at the port were the ability to ship steel into the Midwest by water, the close proximity to numerous steel and automotive-related companies and the attractive business environment in the Jeffersonville area.

Pharmaceutical Distributor Adding Facility in Charlestown

Knipper and Company Inc., a supplier of end-to-end samples management services to the U.S. pharmaceutical industry, announced plans today to establish operations here, creating up to 56 new jobs by 2021.

“We are proud to have Knipper joining Indiana’s growing life sciences industry, which accounts for nearly one-third of the state’s total exports,” said Victor Smith, Indiana Secretary of Commerce. “Companies that specialize in pharmaceuticals, chemicals, medical devices and equipment contribute $59 billion to the overall Hoosier economy each year, and that impact continues to climb as firms like Knipper choose Indiana for growth and new jobs.”

Knipper, which distributes and re-packages drug and medical device samples, will invest $20.56 million to establish a 300,000-square-foot pharmaceutical warehouse and distribution center at 1250 Patrol Road at River Ridge Commerce Center. The new state-of-the-art facility will be equipped to manage prescription, controlled substance and cold chain products to meet the company’s high volume Direct to Practitioner (DTP) fulfillment business. The fulfillment center will allow the company to reach more than 75 percent of the U.S. population with two-day ground service, extending Knipper’s daily shipping window and reducing transit times for pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device customers.

New Automotive Supply Chain Operation coming to Charlestown

Governor Mike Pence joined executives of Toyota Tsusho Corporation in Nagoya, Japan, today as the company announced plans to locate a new automotive supply chain operation in Charlestown, Indiana. The facility will be home to Magnolia Automotive Services, LLC, which is an affiliate of Toyota Tsusho America Inc., and create up to 26 new jobs by 2017.

“As a state, we have worked hard to create a business-friendly environment that encourages growth and attracts new jobs to Indiana,” said Governor Pence. “We cut taxes and reduced burdensome regulations while investing in vocational training and quality of life initiatives to attract new talent to the state. And I’m proud to say those efforts are being recognized by companies like Magnolia Automotive Services that choose to create jobs here in the Hoosier State when faced with a world of options.”

Magnolia will invest $4.4 million to establish a new facility at River Ridge Commerce Center in Charlestown. This project, which is an expansion of an ongoing joint venture between James Group International Inc. and Toyota Tsusho America, will result in Magnolia’s first automotive industry facility outside Mississippi. The new Hoosier facility will serve as a key distribution center, supplying automotive parts and components from more than 100 suppliers in North America to various Toyota production facilities.

Magnolia, which is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), will begin for hiring immediately. Interested applicants may apply by sending a resume to human resources, indicating MAS on the subject line.

Logistics Company Expanding, Doubling Footprint in Clark County

A&R Logistics Inc., a provider of dry bulk transportation and logistics, announced plans today to expand its operations here, creating up to 32 new jobs by 2018.

“Indiana’s stable business climate is encouraging growth here in the Hoosier State,” said Victor Smith, Indiana Secretary of Commerce. “With a balanced budget, triple-A bond rating and corporate taxes on a reduction schedule, companies like A&R Logistics can be assured that Indiana is the best place to expand their business and hire hardworking Hoosiers.”

The company will invest $3.9 million to lease and equip 175,000 square feet of warehouse and industrial space in the River Ridge Commerce Center Enterprise Zone. The new facility, which is nearly 100,000 square feet larger than the company’s existing Jeffersonville operations at 4800 Keystone Blvd., will allow the company to expand its services to multinational companies.

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, A&R Logistics currently employs 18 associates in Indiana. The company will begin hiring drivers this month as well as tank wash, mechanic, packing and warehouse staff in December. Drivers can apply at DriveWithAR.com; other applicants should call A&R Logistics at 800-542-8058.